2nd Round NBA Draft Prospects to Watch in March Madness for OKC Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are elite at finding second round gems. Here are round two prospects to watch during March Madness for the 2026 NBA Draft.

Mar 19, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) speaks at a press conference ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The 2026 NBA Draft is right around the corner. While the Oklahoma City Thunder chase their second straight championship, the sustainability of this group will still rest on how Sam Presti performs in the draft. He has an elite track record and has especially been able to capitalize on second-round selections.

In the 2026 NBA Draft, the OKC Thunder are projected to own the No. 36 pick in day two via the Dallas Mavericks. Here are three names in the March Madness Tournament that you should keep an eye on for the Thunder as the dance unfolds.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti speaks during an introductory press conference for the 2024 Thunder draft picks at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in Oklahoma City on Saturday, June, 29, 2024. | Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3 2026 NBA Draft Prospects to Watch During March Madness for OKC Thunder

1) Zuby Ejiofor, 6-foot-9, 240 pounds, St. John's

Ejiofor should be able to carry St. John's on a run that at least spans two weekends. This season the big man is averaging 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 55% from the floor, 31% from beyond the arc and 71% from the charity stripe.

Ejiofor is elite at switching across the board on the defensive end, his ability to gobble up rebounds helps on both ends and he has a ton of playmaking chops for his size.

On top of his ability to lock down the defensive end and erase possession after possession and his ability to find his teammates clean looks out of the post, Ejiofor does his job as a scoring play finisher.

The St. John's big man is lethal in transition, dominant in the pick-and-roll as a roll man, cleans up misses on putbacks and takes advantage of matchups as a post-up scorer. He should hear his name called in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

2) Flory Bidunga, 6-foot-9, 220 pounds, Kansas

Bidunga is a polarizing draft prospect. Some think he has no NBA future, others think his defensive prowess is enough to get him selected in the second round or at least on the priority undrafted list to ink a two-way deal.

While no one expects Kansas to be long for the big dance, if the Jayhawks can survive until the Sweet 16, that means Bidunga would get to display his elite defensive skillset against Ejiofor and Duke stand out and top-3 pick Cam Boozer. That could be big for his 2026 NBA Draft standing.

Bidunga is averaging 13.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, an eye-popping 2.6 blocks, and nearly a steal per game while shooting 64% from the floor and 66% at the charity stripe, while not being a 3-point threat in the slightest, attempting just two triples in his entire two-year college career.

For his size, Bidunga runs the floor well, going rim-to-rim and capping off plays as a trailer offensively in the fast break, mostly after getting the stop himself on the other end. The Kansas big man turns in 1.367 points per possession as a pick-and-roll man, 1.2 points per possession as a cutter, and cleans up plenty of messes for the Kansas offense as a put-back option. At the rim, the Jayhawks ' second-year man is nearly unstoppable, shooting at a 73% clip at the cup while jamming home 78 dunks this season.

Defensively, Bidunga is elite. He only lets matchups convert at a lowly 32% clip at the rim, shuts down the pick-and-roll when teams attempt to isolate this switch-able defender able to play in space they shoot just 10-for-40.

Mar 13, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) reacts at the end of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

3) Milan Momcilovic, 6-foot-8, 220 pounds, Iowa State

Momcilovic is the most interesting option in the second round for the OKC Thunder. His blend of size and shooting ability could really help the Bricktown Ballers. His Iowa State club, led by fellow draft prospect Joshua Jefferson, has a chance to go far in this tournament and solidify Momcilovic as at the very least a priority second round pick and may even get the big man into the tail end of the first round.

The Iowa State forward is averaging 17.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists and a stock per game while shooting 51% from the floor, a jaw-dropping 49% from downtown on 7.5 3 point attempts a night while shooting 88% from the free throw line in 34 games.

Momcilovic is the best half-court player in the country posting 1.355 points per possession in that setting and he dominates by finishing plays late in the shot clock, on sideline and baseline out of bounds plays and out of timeouts.

The Cyclone is a dynamic movement shooter turning in 1.299 points per possession coming off screens, 1.211 points per possession off handoffs and 46% on dribble jumpers. Off the catch he is still lethal shooting 48% from the floor and a jaw-dropping 53% on unguarded catch and shoot looks. When he gets to the rim, he converts at an 80% clip with 84 shot attempts at the cup this season.

Take a look at the top first round prospects to watch during the March Madness Tournament for the Oklahoma City Thunder ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.